MDC hoping to eradicate destructive feral pigs from Missouri

Jan. 17, 2013

Loading Photo Galleries ...

Written by

Wes

JOHNSON

Hunting feral hogs: Armed with a 9 mm pistol, James Dixon, an MDC wildlife damage biologist, follows the trail of a herd of feral hogs through the Mark Twain National Forest in Barry County. His goal: Kill as many of the invasive pigs as he can.

These Russian boars were caught in a Conservation Department trap. The state is trying to eradicate wild hogs, a non-native species that competes aggressively for food with wildlife. Missouri Department of Conservation / Courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation

James Dixon, wildlife damage biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation, scours a steep hillside looking for signs of feral hogs in Barry County. Inset: These Russian boars were caught in a Conservation Department trap. / Wes Johnson/News-Leader, Missouri Department of Co

More

ADVERTISEMENT

There’s no mistaking the sound, a deep, guttural grunt that resonates among the trees 50 yards to my left.

I turn just in time to see a jet-black 100-pound feral hog saunter from the edge of a deep ravine, its grunt more an expression of inconvenience that we had disturbed its nap than one of fear.

A second smaller black hog appears, then vanishes through a stand of oaks.

“There they are, heading up the hill,” I whisper to my guide, wildlife damage biologist James Dixon.

He draws his Colt 9 mm pistol and chambers a round.

The pigs aren’t panicked by our approach, though they should be. Dixon’s job is to catch and kill as many feral hogs as possible. If we get close enough for a guaranteed shot deep in this part of the Mark Twain National Forest, he’ll blast as many pigs as he can.

We hold tight, hoping not to scare them off. Obscured by the trees, we track the bigger hog’s movement, not by line of sight but by the crunching of leaves as the animal works its way farther up the hill.

With no clear shot, James ejects the 9-millimeter round and holsters his pistol. Then, as quietly as we can, we set out after them.

Why it's important

Feral pigs aren’t native to Missouri, and the ravenous creatures compete heavily for acorns and other food that deer, turkeys, quail, raccoons and other native species depend on for survival. An adult hog can consume 20 pounds of acorns in a day, and herds of feral hogs are notorious for tearing up farmers’ fields and rural gardens as the animals use their snouts to root for grubs and plants.

Their rooting behavior can cut gullies in hills and pollute clear Missouri streams with erosion runoff after rains.

Feral hogs can carry a wide range of diseases, including pseudo rabies and porcine brucellosis, which is lethal to domestic pigs and causes false positive test results for brucellosis in cattle, according to Rex Martensen, private lands supervisor at the Missouri Department of Conservation.

“If cattle test positive for brucellosis they have to be quarantined to figure out what kind it is,” Martensen said. “Although it’s not a threat to cattle, porcine brucellosis is a major inconvenience in cattle country.”

(Page 2 of 4)

Hunters who kill and clean feral hogs are at risk of contracting porcine brucellosis and the resulting flu-like symptoms. MDC encourages anyone who handles feral hogs to wear gloves, although cooking the meat thoroughly renders it safe to eat.

Feral hogs also are prolific breeders. A single sow can become pregnant at one year of age and produce two litters averaging six offspring each every year. The southern third of Missouri has the biggest population of feral hogs, with increasing numbers being seen, trapped and killed in Christian and Barry counties.

Martensen said MDC and other government agencies typically trap and kill about 300 feral hogs a year across the state.

“In Missouri, they really have no natural predators once they get to 30 pounds or so,” Martensen said. “Coyotes and bobcats will take a piglet, but after 30 pounds or so, not much bothers them.”

Some feral pigs are descendants of domestic pigs that escaped their pens or were allowed to roam freely on rural farms. Martensen, however, said the biggest problem Missouri faces today is the intentional release of Russian boars, a hardy hog that some guides and hunters like to chase with “hog dogs.”

“We think most Missouri hogs were trucked here for the purpose of establishing hunting populations,” Martensen said. “But this is a nonnative invasive species we’re trying to eradicate. It’s illegal to release swine in Missouri. It’s a Class A misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine and one year in jail. And it’s a per-pig offense, so if you’re caught releasing 10 Russian boars you could face 10 years in jail and $10,000 in fines. This is not an animal we want to become established in our state.”

Close call

On a steep Barry County hillside, James Dixon and I follow our two feral hogs farther into the woods. Hog signs are everywhere, from roto-tilled patches of soil beneath pine trees to deep deer-like footprints in the soil. Nearing a sharp ravine about a mile in, we pause to catch our breath and double-check our bearings.

(Page 3 of 4)

After focusing so long on the forest floor hog tracks, it’s easy to see how all the hills could start to look the same.

There’s a flash of movement across the ravine.

Suddenly two hogs — they don’t look like the first ones we saw — bolt from an outcropping of rocks and cedar trees. James reloads his pistol, but the pigs are moving fast. Armed with a camera, I focus on some low cedars where I think the hogs will come into view and wait for James to fire.

But like phantoms, the hogs melt away into the forest.

James unloads and holsters his pistol, and we trace the hog tracks back to where they had bedded down, a scoured-out spot beneath cedar trees, adjacent to a deep rock overhang. Nearby, a cedar tree’s bark has been worn away by hogs scratching themselves against it. It’s a comfortable place for the hogs to hide, with a clear view of the adjacent hill and a handy escape route along the rocks.

The hogs lucked out today — James never got a clear shot. So we work our way back to our starting point, a circular steel hog trap that James has been baiting with corn to bring the hogs in.

“We’ll leave one side open so the hogs get comfortable coming inside the trap,” he says. “Over here is a one-way steel door that’s triggered by a hog hitting a wire. Once they’re inside the pen they can’t get out, but the way the door is angled, hogs on the outside can still get in.”

A landowner alerted Dixon to the hog infestation on the property, and trail cameras indicated a herd of about 13 feral pigs. Dixon hopes to trap them all at once, so the entire herd can be eliminated. They’ll be shot inside the pen and tested for disease.

Eradication of hogs best left to MDC

The goal is complete elimination of feral hogs from the Missouri landscape. Because they’re a nonnative, invasive species, no permit is needed to kill them, and they can be killed with guns, bows, spears — anything short of poison or nuclear weapons. Still, Dixon said MDC hopes to discourage a hog-hunting culture from gaining hold.

(Page 4 of 4)

Actively hunting for hogs can scatter feral herds and interfere with MDC efforts to trap and kill large numbers of them, Dixon notes.

“If you see feral hogs, call us,” Dixon says. “We don’t encourage people to go out hunting for hogs, but if you’re deer hunting and see wild hogs, shoot them, kill them, and leave them lay for the scavengers to eat. This isn’t a game animal. It’s more like cockroaches in your house. You want to kill them all.”

Feral hogs in Missouri

Size: Height – to 3 feet at the shoulder; length – to 5 feet; weight – to 400 pounds, but most sows average 110 pounds and boars 130 pounds.
Habitat and conservation: Populations are small, isolated and typically in remote, rugged terrain. Feral hogs require abundant water and spend much time near seeps, ponds and streams. Problems caused by feral hogs increased in the 1990s when hogs escaped confinement or were released intentionally on public land. By 2000 private landowners were reporting significant damage. Hunters afield for other game are encouraged to shoot feral hogs on sight.
Foods: Feral hogs have a keen sense of smell and are opportunistic feeders. They forage heavily on acorns and compete directly with native species such as deer and turkey for this important fall food. They also commonly eat the eggs of ground-nesting birds and anything else they encounter, including reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. They have also been known to kill and eat deer fawns.
Distribution in Missouri: Populations are established in several counties. Sightings occur across the state.
Life cycle: Feral hogs can breed any time of year. Females can be mature at 6 months and produce two litters of one to seven offspring every 12-15 months. As a result, feral hog populations can double in four months.
Human connections: Feral hogs damage property and can spread disease to humans, pets and livestock. Hunting specifically for feral hogs is discouraged because hunters’ activities interfere with eradication efforts. However, hunters afield for other game should shoot feral hogs on sight when they are encountered.
Ecosystem connections: Feral hogs pose a serious concern to land managers. Their rooting, wallowing and feeding behaviors contribute to soil erosion, reduce water quality and damage agricultural crops and hay fields, as well as destroy sensitive natural areas such as glades, fens and springs.
If you see feral hogs: Report sightings to either the nearest MDC Regional Office, the State Veterinarian’s office (573-751-3377), or USDA Wildlife Services
(573-449-3033).
Source: Missouri Department of Conservation